What's Wrong With A Little Chaos?
by badassbellamyblake
Summary: Post 1x10. Finn and Clarke escape captivity with just enough time to warn Bellamy and the surviving 100 that time is of the essence: either they leave camp or they join the others in the grave. Little do they know that running solves one problem, but opens the door to more.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey guys! I'm trying out this concept as a multi-chapter fic, so let me know if I should continue it. It's set post-1x10, with some elements of 1x11 in it (Finn and Clarke being kidnapped by the Grounders). Alrighty, enjoy!

* * *

_and so the ground shook with two thousand feet  
speeding up hearts faster than any drum beat_

_as the tempo increases,War marches ever closer_

* * *

Thin vines tried to hold Clarke back as she struggled through the underbrush, clinging to her neck and arms, slicing into her and making her pause too many times, only reaffirming what Anya had told her: this was not her land. She could not focus on Finn's curses as he too fought against the foliage. They had to keep moving forward.

They had gotten lucky, Clarke knew, when she had recognized the white granules in the caves she had been sentenced to, a knife threatening Finn's life if she did not save a badly injured girl. It had been no easy task convincing the Grounders that she needed a flame in order to cauterize the girl's wounds.

Sugar was flammable, and sending a dust cloud of it into the air, where it could mingle with oxygen, created a small scale explosion. And a diversion.

Clarke hadn't waited to see if any of the guards watching her and Finn, had been injured, or even if he had followed her as she ran as fast as she could out of the cave and into open forest. While she had been unconscious for the first half of the kidnapping, Clarke used their position in relation to Mount Weather as a guide back home.

The forest was trying desperately to keep her imprisoned, but she kept moving, ignoring the sting of razor sharp thorns, and even Finn. Right now, he wasn't important. There were eighty-seven lives she needed to save, and if he couldn't keep up she just _couldn't _ worry about it.

Words she wasn't meant to hear still taunted her, threatening any hope she had that they would survive the night. "_A thousand strong march this way,"_ one of the guards had whispered to the other, his eyes shining behind the deformed skull he wore.

So Clarke had acted quick, telling Finn to follow her lead before igniting the air. But four Grounders most likely only slightly injured was not a victory. It would only further incite retaliation, and Clarke needed to get back to the camp and to Bellamy and they needed to move.

"I recognize this," Finn shouted behind her, his breathing labored and shaky. "Keep going straight. We're almost there."

Her need to get home burned worse than the muscles of her legs. The dryness in her throat egged her on, because parched lips were easier to sate than the tears mourning a hundred dead. Each breath her lungs gobbled up, sending a mutilated gasp out of her mouth, were the names of her fellow criminals.

These thoughts bubbled from her when the Wall suddenly became visible, and she let out a sob, because survival was still possible. It could be done.

"Bellamy!" The watchman hollered into the depths of the camp, and Clarke limped forward, needing to collapse, but not knowing how.

Some mutterings later and the door opened, releasing into the forest a gun clad Bellamy. Clarke almost cried at the sight of him.

"Get water!" He ordered to the guard, and then broke into a run, swooping Clarke in his arms to support her as she staggered. "Clarke, are you guys okay?" His eyes darted towards Finn, who was bent over, trying to catch his breath.

"No," Clarke panted, "We need to leave. Bellamy. We need to leave _now_."

"She's right, Bellamy," Finn interjected before Bellamy could give voice to his incredulous expression, "There's an army of at least a thousand headed this way. We won't survive the night."

Silence permeated as the notion of a thousand Grounders' marching across the land shook the foundation of Bellamy's reserve. Clarke watched his fear peep through the fractures of his steel gaze, and she squeezed his hand softly.

"We need to get moving now. There is no time. If we want to get a head start and still be able to pack supplies-"

"Where would we go?"

His question wasn't sarcastic or disagreeing, Clarke realized, noting the sincerity in his voice. Bellamy wanted answers, and right now, she had them.

"We go west," she stated, trying to get her heartbeat to calm down so she could think. _Focus on the facts._ "Major waterways are more than likely home to other Grounders, so we follow the smaller tributaries, until we get far enough away. Then we go from there."

"Alright," he nodded his head and walked away from her, feeling confident she wouldn't collapse. "I'll get things organized. You two rest and drink water. Five minutes only. We leave in fifteen."

There was a hard determination in his eyes that Clarke recognized from the landing, and she was confident that if anyone could organize a mob in the blink of an eye, it was Bellamy.

"Do you think we'll be able to get out in time?" Finn's question was a dagger through her momentary assuredness, and she almost wanted to scoff at him for asking. It was a valid question though, no matter how she tried to play it in her head.

"Yes," she confirmed, meeting his gaze for the first time in days, "Bellamy will make it happen. Now. Shut up. We need to recoup before we run again."

Her legs felt like jello, so she all but fell to the floor. Ass on the trampled grass, Clarke catalogued her meager supplies with eyes fixed on the fifteen graves of her fallen people.

They cleared her mind and kept her grounded.

She hoped no other graves were dug tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much to the positivity I received from the first chapter! I want to thank everyone that commented, and to the person who asked what other pairings I was including, I have no idea at this point. I will have to see how the characters evolve over the length of the story. Alas, special thanks to my beta, Andrea (GGirlXoxoA), for being wonderful, as usual. Oh, and if someone is interested in making a cover for this, I would be very thankful!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

running isn't a sign of cowardice,  
it's taking your pounding heart in her hands  
and feeling it bleed life.

* * *

Everything Bellamy had hoped for suddenly came to life before him, making him cringe: this was organized chaos, and Fate had been kind enough to give it to him. He finally understood just how wrong he had been.

People scrambled past him, petrified expressions on their faces as they tore down tents and wrapped supplies and weapons in makeshift sleeping bags. It was good planning that they had started off keeping to the necessities, keeping foodstuffs sorted appropriately and ensuring that each person had a makeshift canteen.

When Bellamy had re-entered the camp, he had kept his speech vague and short:

_ We are leaving the camp. Pack only what you can carry on your back. Those assigned to watch rotation, pack quickly. Night shift head to Agro, and day shift to the Clinic. Gather tools and anything we might need first aid wise. We leave in fifteen minutes. If you're not ready in that amount of time, stay behind and die. Dismissed._

There had been a brief pause, ushering in disbelief and minuscule panic, but life and death situations were just another bright, sunny day to the Hundred, and they pulled themselves together quickly. It was times like these when he realized he, like the Ark, had underestimated this ragtag group of criminals.

He had already been to his tent, packing the furs and weapons he had acquired. It was meager, but for that he was thankful: it meant less to carry. Now, he marched to Clarke's quarters, watching the entrance for when she would stagger in.

Inside, it was cool, and stupidly, Bellamy paused to enjoy the momentary respite. The need to breathe and do nothing else overwhelmed him, and there was something calming about where he was at. Time was of the essence though.

Sighing, he began wrapping the uncomfortable looking tarp she had been using as a mattress up, along with a blanket and her various maps. Bellamy secured it with some straps of fabric from his shirt and grabbed the bag he knew carried supplies and her beloved drawing book. It could come in handy, he reasoned to himself.

Taking another deep breath, he stepped back out of her tent, and ordered one of the girls standing around confused to tear it down with the others.

"Bellamy."

Clarke stood to his right, still looking frazzled, but more put together than he felt.

"I packed your stuff and grabbed your bag. The book too. Head over to the dropship. Grab Raven and set a loop message up to the Ark telling them what happened. If they're still offline, that's their problem."

She nodded, and grabbed her bag from him. "Thanks, Bellamy. I'll do that." Her eyes hardened, and Bellamy was about to defend his actions, but she flashed him a grateful smile, before scanning the crowd and heading off to where Raven helped some of the younger kids fasten tents and equipment to their backs. "What if they follow us?" She called over her shoulder, letting him hear just how big of a concern that was to her.

_So that's the reason for that glint in her eyes. She's scared and doesn't want to show it._

"Already ahead of you, Princess. Hurry up with Raven. We leave in six minutes."

They had to create a diversion, Bellamy knew, and he had an idea, but it had to be voluntary. Sparing a glance up to the sky, he wondered who would be selfless enough to what he was about to ask.

* * *

"All set," Raven gave a tug to the straps, ensuring they'd hold, "go help Jasper pack in Agro."

The younger kid gave a determined nod and joined the others his age, where they dutifully placed precious seeds and meat into bags.

She didn't know what inspired this, but Raven knew it had to do with the arrival of Finn and Clarke. It pained her to see Finn rushing around camp without being able to check on him, but things were more important than making sure her ex-boyfriend was okay.

"Raven!"

Clarke's voice sent her spinning around, bristling suddenly, before remembering that it wasn't her fault.

"Clarke," Raven swallowed, trying to sound as pleasant as possible. "Are you okay?"

Her cheeks were flushed and she looked preoccupied with a million other thoughts, but she still spared Raven a kind, if not awkward smile. "I'm fine. Thank you. But I need you to come with me."

Without waiting for a response, Clarke all but ran towards the Comm. tent, and Raven followed, heaving her bag over her shoulder. "You want to send a message to the Ark that we're leaving the drop site?"

"Yes. Can you set it on loop?"

"No," she shook her head, ducking as both girls entered the tent. "But I can send a message now and take the radio with us. Monty and I have been working on walkie talkies of sorts, actually."

Relief washed over Clarke, and Raven couldn't help but to relax either. "That's more than I was hoping to hear. Okay," she turned the radio on, not bothering with the screen. "Relay a message real quick, saying we're leaving and it's not safe here, and I will grab two guys to help carry this. Are the walkie talkies in the dropship?"

Nodding, Raven secured the headset over her head and typed the command for an open line as Clarke rushed out of the tent. The sound of her ordering someone into help made Raven smile. They would survive whatever was going on.

Static rang in her ears, and Raven hit the green 'send' button. "This is Raven Reyes of The Hundred 100. Relocating. Site not safe. Repeat. Site not safe. Starting radio silence. Over."

She repeated the message twice more, then disconnected, the line barely dead before she began deconstructing the apparatus and shoving it back into the cases it came from.

Moments later, a pair of well-muscled men entered the tent and wordlessly began lifting the heavy equipment out.

A sharp whistle drew her attention, and Raven made her way to where the group was gathering around Bellamy and Clarke by the back entrance to the gate. In one hand he held a compass, and in the other he held a map towards Clarke. Next to him, Clarke was furiously glancing between the map Bellamy held and one in her hands, tracing some sort of path out on it.

Two maps. Raven's interest was piqued.

"We are leaving now," Bellamy's voice quieted the crowd before the second word left his lips. "But we need volunteers to direct the Grounders away from the main group." There was no pause, letting his words sink in. Instead, he continued urgently, not giving the time for anything but action. "We don't know how far they will go to enact revenge, but that is not something we can ignore. I need four of you to head North east, before circling around and meeting up with us at a rendezvous point."

"We have walkie talkies," Clarke spoke up, her voice pleading. "We will be able to communicate to you our location. The separation would be temporary."

A sickening silence settled over the group. They didn't have time for this.

"I'll do it," Raven stated, lifting her hand high. "Who will join me?"

"I will," Octavia stepped away from the crowd, her eyes boring into Bellamy's. "There isn't time to argue with me Bell. Lincoln taught me how to spot their traps. I'm the best for this job."

"Absolutely-"

"Bellamy, she's right." Clarke put a hand on his arm, and Raven had to look away, feeling strangely like an intruder on the look the shared.

"We'll go," Jasper and Monty said in unison, which seemed to relieve Bellamy's protests, though his lips remained pursed.

"It's settled then," Clarke declared, walking towards Octavia and handing her a map and a crude walkie talkie.

"We leave now!" Bellamy roared. "Groups of no less than five. Space out the strong so the weaker ones have protection. Stay together. Help each other. Move quickly. Let's go. Miller lead the group. I'll head the rear."

On that note the crowd dispersed, and Bellamy strode to where Octavia and Clarke, as well as Jasper and Monty, were talking rapidly. Raven made a beeline towards them, catching the tail end of Clarke's sentence.

"... near this waterway here. At this point, it curves West. This is an updated map from the satellite view of the Ark, and as far as they could tell, it leads towards this water way here, where we will be." Each direction was punctuated with Clarke's hand flying from one point on the map, to another.

Octavia's head nodded at each word, and Raven moved to stand next to her, following each word Clarke spoke.

"Alright, we got it," Octavia breathed, taking the map from Clarke and rolling it up. Her eyes met Raven's, and she nodded. "Let's do this then!"

Despite the cheer in her voice, Raven didn't miss the way her hands shook.

"O," Bellamy urged, pulling her aside.

Their words were too soft for anyone to hear, but Octavia's eyeroll needed no translation. Eventually, the younger Blake wrapped her arms around her brother, and he placed a quick kiss to her forehead.

Their fearless leaders gave matching solemn nods before heading out of the camp, towards the others.

"Alright," Monty spoke, his eyes darting around the others. "So now what?"

Octavia crossed her arms, taking in the ghost town around them. "Now we wait ten minutes, and then follow in their footsteps. Clarke said for two of us to scout ahead and hide their path, while the others make headway forging a new one, about a mile down the line."

"We need a way to rejoin each other," Raven said, grabbing the map from Octavia. "If we're splitting up, we need to stay close enough to each other to give a signal. Maybe a fire?"

Jasper shook his head quickly, tearing the map from Raven's hands. "What is it with you and fire?" He laughed, nudging her playfully. How was it that he was so unaffected? "If we can see a fire, so can the Grounders."

There was silence as he studied the map, then he abruptly pointed to a spot about five miles away. "If we meet here, it will put us directly where Clarke told us to go."

Adrenaline lit up Raven's senses, and she tugged the straps of her backpack tighter. "Let's go then. Jasper, come with me." She gave him a pointed stare when his mouth fell open: he would be too distracted by Octavia if he went with her. Then she looked back to Monty and Octavia. "We'll see you guys in five miles."

Then she pulled Jasper by the arm, towards the exit. No one knew what lay beyond them, but at least they wouldn't die to tonight.

That had to count for something.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I was going to have this up before part one of the finale, but alas, real life gets in the way. Speaking of the show though... how uncanny are the similarities between it and my fic? Because I am ****freaking out**** flabbergasted (and a little proud of myself hehe). Hopefully I continue that trend and keep these characters as real as possible. Enjoy this chapter, because it's the last peaceful one you will have.**

* * *

_it's the unknown that we get caught up on,  
and worry endlessly about,  
but we forget that the world we're in  
can hurt just as easy_

* * *

Her heart pounded in her ears, like the drums that would bring death to the group if they didn't keep moving, making Clarke's adrenaline bleed into paranoia: every slanted shadow was a Grounder with a spear at the ready, every bird fluttering through the leaves was an arrow racing towards them-

"Clarke!" Bellamy's hand on her arm sent her bones jumping out of her skin, even as his voice calmed her, made her focus.

"Are we moving fast enough?" She didn't want to sound panicked, but her words gushed from her like blood from a severed artery, and she was stranded without a way to-

"We're moving as fast as we can," he admitted, a fleeting flicker of the panic she felt flashing behind his eyes before his gaze hardened and he scanned the line. "But you need to pull yourself together. You've had a shit day, I get that, but right now, they're thinking only one of us is scared, and it's not good that it's you."

Recognizing the challenge she had given him only weeks- days?- ago, Clarke immediately sobered up: Bellamy was right. She was leading these people away from death, not towards it, and she had to make them believe that and trust in her- and Bellamy's- ability to keep them safe.

Nodding, Clarke pulled the map from her bag and stopped a random person- Gerry, was his name?- and thrust the map into his hands. "Hold this," she directed him, and wordlessly he did as he was told, his face an odd mixture of honor and fear. "Look here," she said to Bellamy, pointing to a cave system a few miles north of their location.

"You think it's safe?" He leaned closer, then turned to look back at Clarke.

"Safer than the open forest. If by some miracle they catch up to us, we can use the mouth of the cave as a funnel, increasing our odds in a fight."

If it came to that, they would handle it then, but for now, Clarke took the map from Gerry and thanked him before walking with Bellamy to the rear of the group. Even with Raven, Monty, Octavia and Jasper covering their tails, Bellamy and Clarke had taken it upon themselves to still try their best to mask their trail.

"What are we going to do about Murphy?"

Though unbidden, the question did not surprise Clarke, sighing as she set about straightening branches and kicking leaves across the ground.

"Right now, I think he's the least of our problems- a body we can use. But I think we need to keep an eye on him. This is all too convenient, and he's probably enjoying the chaos."

"Agreed," Bellamy said, completely pulling a small, trampled sapling from the ground and breaking it apart in his hands. A few moments passed where they worked silently, masking any- hopefully- evidence that they had been through at all.

With this many people traveling together, there was bound to be a mistake somewhere, but hopefully they were far enough away before that happened. Maybe they should split up into smaller groups? But that would require practically aliens to this planet mastering the terrain and surviving independently. No, this was the only way to ensure everyone lived.

"Hey princess?" She looked up, Bellamy's hesitancy immediately concerning her. Through narrowed eyes she regarded him, recognizing the same wide-eyed stare she had seen on his face when Atom had lay before him, dying.

Bellamy cleared his throat, halting her reply. "It's nothing, let's just catch up with the others."

Grabbing his retreating form by the arm, Clarke stilled him, pulling at him to turn around. "You don't get to do this Bellamy," she urged, momentarily forgetting everything going on around them, focusing only on Bellamy and how they needed to be on the same page.

With pursed lips, Bellamy shrugged out of her touch, only to step closer, invading her senses until she could only focus on the dizzying way his chest rose and fall before her face.

"Fine, Clarke. I'll level with you."

Something in the way he said her name had her stepping back, trying to jump back over the gap they had somehow breached together. "I'm petrified," he said, his right hand raising uselessly, a visual to how he must feel. "We are supposed to be leading these people to safety… and I know I told you to get over it back there…" magnetic force- Clarke wouldn't _dare_ call it anything else- kept her eyes on his as they pleaded with her to understand.

"We're running away. And I don't know what to do if they catch up to us? How do we do this when I can't stop imagining everyone dead around us?"

The despair in his voice was too much for Clarke, and before she could process her actions, had her arms wrapped around his shoulders, holding him together. Because if he fell apart, she would too.

And she knew what this was really about.

"You're not a coward, Bellamy. Get that out of your head right now." She put space between them and counted her breaths- _one, two, three_- then continued, hoping her words had sunk in. "A coward would have stayed at camp and let fear paralyze him, but did you do that? No. You are moving forward, _leading_ these people. And you need to keep doing that because I need you to help me do it."

On overdrive and shaking harder than she did the first night the weather dipped, Clarke stood with clenched teeth and a desperate sort of fury in her fists, _daring_ Bellamy to fold under the pressure she knew he felt on his shoulders.

She needed him goddammit, and giving in was not an option.

As if he was hoping to catch the right words, Bellamy's mouth hung open and somewhere between her all but yelling at him and her begging him to keep going, his hands had found her cheeks.

It must have surprised him, because he kept on staring at her, a sea of questions crashing behind his eyes, but the most consistent thing she saw was uncertainty. What was he supposed to do now? Some sort of line had been crossed just now, and his calloused palms warming her face reminded Clarke of the way the sun felt the first time she really felt it.

"I'm here. I'm good," he finally admitted, sighing and stepping away, allowing the comfortable distance between them resume, only this time it was chaffing and awkward.

"Good." Her heartbeat wouldn't calm, and Clarke focused on getting her body to calm down before speaking again. "We need to send scouts ahead to make sure we're not running into trouble down the road."

Before Bellamy could reply, Clarke was off, making sure not to disturb any of the plants around her. A part of her had always felt Bellamy's eyes on her back as she'd walk away from him, but something made her extremely aware of it right now as she moved forward, refusing to look back.

* * *

Pretending to be eighty people _sucked_, but Octavia kept her mouth shut as she trampled through the underbrush, tugging vines and bushes from the dirt as she went. After only five minutes of this, her hands had turned black, and as she stared at them now, she wondered if this was how the Grounders got their dark body paint.

"This is really time consuming," Monty said, grunting as he kicked up a particularly deeply rooted plant. "Makes you wonder if we picked the right job," he joked, even though the humor sounded forced.

"Someone has to be the hero," she said, wiping her hands pointlessly on her dirty jeans, "it might as well be us."

The smile she gave him was returned, but it faded quickly as his eyes scanned the forest. "What do you think our odds are of surviving to rejoin the group?"

Monty's eyes were more serious than she'd ever seen them- even when Jasper was dying- and something in her chest ached at the sight. "Well…" she pondered the odds carefully. "Lincoln taught me some tricks, so that ups our odds, and if you're as smart as you let on… I think we have a shot Monty. Not a good one, but still a shot."

He seemed to accept that answer, because he went back to making a complete mess of the forest around them.

_Yeah_, Octavia thought ruefully, her previous confidence fading with each step, _this wouldn't suck so much if we moved as quickly as eighty people._

Two to a thousand weren't good odds, but she wouldn't tell Monty that.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I am incredibly sorry for multiple reasons: 1) the first three chapters were edited ****_horribly_**** so I will have to remedy that (and not write will inebriated smfh); 2) it has been too long since I updated last, but a family issue has kept me away. It is resolved however, and I am back in action!**

**Thank you to any of you who nominated me for the The 100 Awards Best Fanfic Author on tumblr, and thank you to Jade for her feedback on this chapter, and also to Chelsey for keeping me writing!**

* * *

it's only when you stop moving

that fear can surpass adrenaline

and make your veins its home

* * *

Five miles had never felt so long, and Raven's feet were aching and her arms were covered in all sorts of scratches and cuts. It had her and Jasper a day and a half to get to get this far, but it was still nothing compared to Zero-G training, so she kept her mouth shut, refusing to complain.

Octavia and Monty had reached the meeting point before them, and were safely hidden between the giant slate protuberances of the land when Raven and Jasper arrived. For a few minutes, Raven let relief wash over her, feeling more comforted with three other people rather than just one, but she knew this was only phase one of their journey.

"Do you have the walkie-talkie set to the right channel," Octavia asked suddenly, interrupting Jasper and Monty's weird handshake. Her eyes were wide and while Raven had always known her and Bellamy were related, there was an urgency in the younger girl that left no mistake as to who her older brother was.

Nodding, Raven swung her backpack around and searched for the walkie-talkie. "It's already set on Channel 2 from our earlier tests, so Clarke's should be on that one as well." To Monty and Jasper, Raven snapped, pulling their attention away from each other and onto the task at hand. "Scout our surroundings, stay silent, and whistle two low notes if you see anything. Don't go far and be back in five."

Not bothering to see if they had any say-so on the matter, Raven took a deep breath and twisted the knobs of the talkie, collapsing to the floor as she did so: if they were going to catch up to the rest of the group, exhaustion and sore muscles would only hinder that.

"Sit," she ordered Octavia, who had been in the process of opening her water canteen.

"We're going to need more water," Octavia supplied, squinting into the almost empty container as she joined Raven on the ground. "There's a creek about a quarter mile west of here. Once we find out where they are, we can figure out if it's worth the walk to it or not."

Static feedback came from the small speaker, and Raven fiddled with a couple of wires until the noise dropped to a low hum. "Let's hope they respond quickly." She lifted the talkie to her face and gave Octavia a hopeful look before pressing the button to talk.

"Raven to Clarke," she said slowly, "Raven to Clarke. Do you copy? Over."

She released the button- it had been one and a half minutes since Jasper and Monty left, and things were silent thus far- and turned the volume up a hair as she waited for Clarke's response.

Another minute passed- two and half now, since Jasper and Monty left- and Raven was about to relay the message again, when Clarke's voice broke out over the static.

"Clarke to Raven. Copying loud and clear over here. Give me a minute. Over."

"She's either finding Bellamy or moving away from the group," Octavia whispered as she cracked her neck.

It had been four minutes now, and dread was making its way up Raven's spine. Yeah, she had said five minutes, but the woods were so quiet- too quiet- and it unnerved her. "Can you hear or see the boys?"

Furrowing her brow, Octavia cocked her head for a few seconds before shaking it and rising. "I'll take point. We need to get moving."

As she moved away from Raven, Clarke spoke again. "Clarke to Raven. Where are you at? Over."

Raven lifted her butt off the ground high enough to pull the folded paper from her back pocket, then ripped it open, scanning the map quickly. Raven placed a finger on their location on the map. "You see that rocky outcropping near the center of the map? We're there."

"I see it. We are approximately… eight miles west-northwest of your location. Do you see the caves on your map? Over."

"Okay, I see it. Over."

There was some feedback and it sounded like Clarke was arguing with someone before she directed her words at Raven. "Once you get to that system, move one mile west, and three-quarters of a mile north. Miller will be at the river there, with a group of five and they will lead you to us… Over."

It had been over five minutes, and the fear Raven was feeling manifested in her voice. "Okay. Octavia is here with me," Raven's eyes darted to where the other girl was still scanning the treeline, "so you can tell Bellamy she's fine. Monty and Jasper are patrolling the area before we set off. We're leaving in one minute, with or without Jasper and Monty. If they're not with us, I will leave the walkie talkie here leaving O and I radio silent. Mind telling me where our destination is?"

The thought of being stranded in unknown territory was petrifying, but staying here any longer scared Raven more- and Jasper and Monty were still not back. She could hear that Clarke had pressed the button and was trying to think of any objections she could muster, but then the blonde sighed, the sound breathy and cackly through the speaker.

"Do what keeps you guys alive, Raven. Two move faster than eighty do, so I don't doubt you can catch up to us once we get moving. Miller will stay at the rendezvous point until high noon tomorrow, so march through the night if you have to. If he isn't there, follow the river- that's where we'll be. Sun up tomorrow, we're off again. Over."

_One breath, two._

"Okay. If you don't hear from us later, it's just me and Octavia. Over and out."

Bolting to her feet, Raven folded the map with shaking fingers and haphazardly stuffed it back in her pocket. "Octavia," she hissed as she walked towards her. "Where are they?"

"I don't know." She clenched and unclenched her hands uselessly, not taking her eyes off the trees. "We need to go thou-"

A low, urgent whistle.

The start of another one-

"Run!"

The order was still leaving Raven's tongue when her and Octavia bolted, heading north.

With her heartbeat in her ears and her shins jarring in protest at each clumsy step, Raven clung to the walkie talkie still in her hand, and did not take her eyes off of Octavia.

* * *

"Raven and Octavia are fine, Bellamy." He was getting on her last nerve with his hovering, and she ignored his pointed glare at the venom in his tone.

They were all stressed, she got that, but he needed to get ahold of himself.

He ran a hand over his face, inadvertently letting her know just how exhausted he was, and followed her as she walked away, towards the rest of the group. "But they don't know where Jasper and Monty are, which means that they are potentially _not_ fine. Clarke. Stop." An arm snaked around her waist, pulling her back towards him. "I'm trying to talk to you."

Shoving his hands away from her, she glared up at him. "_I'm_ trying to save lives here, Bellamy. Am I worried about Octavia and Raven and Jasper and Monty? _Yes_. But there are people here, in front of us, that need us to be a unit. They need us to focus on them. So either help me assess things or go take a nap. You're insufferable when you're exhausted."

They glared at each other, each refusing to back down first, but Clarke was more steadfast, and Bellamy knew it.

"Fine, princess." His eyes flicked to the rest of the group. "Go _assess_ things." The fight was gone from his voice- like hell he could stay livid at her for long. Not now, at least. "'ll sleep. Wake me when you're done."

When she nodded, a wry smirk on her face, Bellamy couldn't help but to keep her from walking away just yet. "Oh, and Clarke?"

She rose her eyebrows, halfway on her way towards turning around. "What?"

Bellamy laughed lightly as he licked his lips. "I'm always exhausted."

Waving him away, Clarke fought back a chuckle. "That would explain why you're always insufferable."

The smile she boasted was real, and she clung to it, hoping the brief flicker of happiness that inspired it would last.

And it did. As she did her rounds, Clarke felt light and at ease, almost believing herself whenever she told someone that they were going to be fine.

Then she ran into Finn, and she hated how quickly her smile vanished and a scowl took its place. Dealing with him was farthest from her mind, but she knew she couldn't avoid him forever. Wanting to keep him away from her so she could focus on what had to be done, she'd assigned him to keep a close eye on Murphy, and she noticed his absence. Finn had his signature I'm-on-the-verge-of-telling-you-I-love-you-but-I'm-going-for-martyr-of-the-year look on, and that set Clarke over the edge.

"Where's Murphy?" She snapped, rolling her eyes at the shock he reacted with.

"Miller was watching him so I could go eat? Clarke, are you okay?" He reached for her, and Clarke held up a hand in warning.

"Enough, Finn. You need to stop this. We were over the moment Raven landed, and I've realized that, so it's time you did too."

Indignance flashed in his eyes, but he buried it with that puppy dog look she had initially fallen for. It screamed compassion, but Clarke was starting to wonder who it was for: her or himself?

"Come on," he pleaded, stepping closer to her. She took a step back, "you know how I feel-"

"That's the thing, Finn," all her frustration surmounted in his name, "I don't know. I thought I did, and god did I want that. But the Finn I wanted would have been hounding me to know where Raven was or even if she was alive right now, not trying to win me over. We're done here."

Was she the only one in this camp that was focused on keeping everyone alive? Disgusted, she marched to where her and Bellamy had set their stuff, knowing he'd be there. Her plan was to take her frustration out on him, knowing he would be able to handle it, then discuss their next steps. The fact that Raven had lost tabs on Murphy and Jasper was worrisome to say the least, and staying in one spot for long seemed wrong.

When she found Bellamy, he was curled at the base of a tree, holding his gun like a teddy bear: Clarke had never seen him so peaceful, and that made waking him up all the harder.

"Hey," she whispered, nudging him softly, "we have things to do."

In a flash, he was sitting up, his eyes wide, groggy. "Jesus, Clarke. I almost took you out." His voice was rough from sleep, and she marveled at how much it calmed her.

"You wish, Bellamy Blake. Now scoot over."

Bellamy was barely out of the way before Clarke plopped down next to him, in much the same position they had been after the incident at the bunker.

The map was already in her hands and unfolded when she started speaking. "The girls are here," she pointed to a rocky structure some ways away from them, "and Miller will stay behind with a group to meet up with them. We need to be moving _by_ sun up."

Static sounded through the walkie talkie, and Bellamy grabbed it from her backpack before Clarke could respond, and was standing, holding it impatiently to his ear.

"Raven to Clarke, Raven to Clarke." Raven was out of breath, her words chopped and pained. "Move. They're on our tail. Just O and I. Move. Over and out."

Radio silence.


End file.
